Sale preperations

Shep has spent an hour today being nosey, out of my area and I tracked down a farm I had an interest in and managed to pluck up the courage to go and introduce myself, only to find the shepherd busying himself dressing draft ewes, it is fair to say the temptation to jump in the pen with him and give him a hand was pretty strong, but I resisted, after all, I was meant to be having a day off! At least I got a good look at the type of sheep off the place with a 'private' viewing of the draft ewes, the tups I was hoping to have a gander at seemed not to be on show and hints didn't work but then the man had a lot of work to get through and I know for myself there can be nowt worse than being held up.

It's that time of year, sheep sales are upon us big time and sheep need dressing and turning out to the best of our abilities in the hope they will look their best on the day and catch the buyers eyes.

The following are photos taken last year, a glance at dressing Blackfaced gimmers, unfortunately I didn't have the sense to do the before and after shots to show the difference once they had been tidied up, although it is fair to say a good sheep takes little dressing, it's the poorer end which need more attention to make them look better.

 

Most sheep can be helped by tidying their bellies up, Blackies are of course heavier woolled sheep, carrying long wool and this gimmer had been clipped in June so her fleece had had plenty of chance to grow. Levelling a belly off helps give the sheep height and length.

 

Wool tidied up around the neckline helps accentuate the face and in some cases give the sheep more neck. There are many different styles of dressing sheep, some even use the electric clippers on them, hand shears are still the most preferred method of dressing on hill sheep, little really needs to come off and as a hairdresser will probably tell you it is easier to snip with a pair of scissors than use electric clippers because once it is removed it can't be put back again. Dressing with hand shears takes patience and practice, care is needed not to leave shear marks in the wool, a well dressed sheep oughtn't to look like it has had the shears over it.

 

Buckets? What has that got to do with dressing sheep? Well, we all like to look nice and clean when out in public and the same goes for the sheep. Okay! I don't suppose they really care but the truth is if you wash and rinse their faces it is amazing how much grime comes of the hair on their heads with the result being they look bright and shiny. Many sheep have already been bloom dipped as well, this is intended to put some colour into their fleeces but it can also dull the hair on the head and legs.

 

As this photo shows, the legs on these gimmers did get a wash, enough to darken and brighten the black and whiteness of their colours, make them stand out more, be eye catching.

 

Paint? Whatever next? It's tradition you see........... honest! Gimmers and ewe lambs as tradition goes get a red paint mark on the back of their necks, the draft ewes find they get a strip of paint painted around their horns. Now any old paint wont do, seriously! it has to be gloss paint, it also has to be red - honest! Some have tried using aerosol cans or keel on the back of the heads but this smudges and spreads, gloss paint is the answer.

 

There she is, getting the wool on the back of her head painted, her face has already been washed, her crown is looking shiny white, her wool has an almost biscuity colour about it due to the fact she was bloom dipped and now she is getting her paint put on, just like a woman tarting herself up ready for a night out!

 

Waiting patiently for the makeover, these gimmers are dressed, bellies levelled, legs washed, wool bloomed, they're just waiting for a quick facial followed by a bit of red and then off they'll go back to their field to relax ready for their big day

 

when they go through the ring, catch the buyers eyes and hopefully make a lot of money for the farmer, before moving to pastures new

Autumn Breeding Sales

'Tis the time of year when farmers have been busy spaening (weaning) their lambs and sorting through their breeding sheep. There are sales every week at the moment for breeding sheep of one type or another at the auction marts across our area.

The sales season can start quite early with the downland breeds being the first to come upon the market, hill breeding sales tend to be slightly later in the season. Friday 14th September was the KELSO tup fair, where almost every type of downland tup (ram) was on offer, by October we will be flat out with the hill tup sales, some farmers and shepherds travelling miles to view and buy sheep.

It isn't just the tups who are finding themselves being paraded around the sale ring, the females are also on the market. Ewe sales are commencing, specific sales where females of all ages will be going under the auctioneers gavel. From draft ewes (retiring off the hills) right down the scale to the younger end being the ewe lambs (spare female lambs).

Shep was at the ewe sale at Lockerbie recently, funny white faced critters they were - yup! Cheviots! but only a handful were present of the type I am accustomed to, the remainder of the sale was taken up with those bigger creatures, the north country variety. The Blackfaced ewe sales are advertised throughout the farming press, Shep nearly found herself at Castle Douglas rather than Lockerbie but navigational skills and sheep breed found Lockerbie easier to negotiate. The sales at Longtown and Hexham are yet to come, just a fortnight away though and many sheep to prepare for sale before then.

Sheep find themselves being dressed for sale, not in the sense we would imagine, they don't get wrapped up in frilly frocks or anything of that ilk, they just find themselves getting a tidy up, any raggy edges smoothed over, a cut and trim to help them look respectable. Dolled up a little bit, touch of bloom dip to brighten their fleeces, dab of paint where necessary and off they'll go to the mart. Hopefully the next posting will help explain some of this to you all.

Clipping................... dare I mention it?

I have been asking myself how many times I've finished the clipping season this year, it is fair to say my celebrations on the 16th August were indeed just somewhat premature. Friday 24th August saw me once again conclude the season may well be over, however, I kept the revelation to myself - not wishing to tempt providence y'know!

Sure enough, that gut feeling proved right again and another 'phone call saw a return to the clipping boards on the 2nd September, although I will be honest and admit to passing the buck, got someone else to do the clipping and Shep did the handling. I did clip one or two it is fair to say to give the guy a break as there were more sheep to clip than we had anticipated and really, Shep ought to have had her machine there to shorten the day, but hey ho, it got over.

There was a feeling of relief. Surely that has got to be the end, has it not? Aargh! There was another 'phone call......... Commitments to dip and spaen sheep meant I was unavailable for a day or two and phew! The sheep got themselves clipped with out my interference.

I feel that at long last I can safely say that the clipping season is over for 2012, I know I will still clip an odd one, those that missed the gathers will find hand shears taking their wool off, hopefully there will just be odd ones and no more. At least with the hand shears more wool will be left on their backs as unlike electric clipping where you follow the sheeps body, with hand shears you follow the rise. The rise is the depth of new wool growth. Hand shearing sees you clipping at the base of the old wool which ensures plenty of wool is left on the sheeps back at this time of year as they have a decent rise of new wool - a different and slower challenge than electric shearing, an art in itself and clipping odd ones is no great hardship.

I laughed to myself when the clipping came to a close, my final real days clipping was on Swaledale hoggs. Hoggs are last years lambs, they are the first sheep that are clipped in the season. It was the 2nd of June when I commenced clipping this season, on Swaledale hoggs, two and a half months and 2,800 sheep later I finished the season on Swaledale hoggs! Can't say that has ever happened before, but as the saying goes, "there's a first time for everything!"

Just shows what a topsy turvy season it has been!

On the subject of topsy turvy, I want to share with you the following photo. Not a good one as it was taken in the dark of night and with the help of some quick fix button on the computer it has enhanced the shot to enable us to get an idea of what exactly it is. I'm calling it a moonbow. Nowt terribly rare about such a thing as I have revelled in their amazing beauty before but it does seem topsy turvy to see rainbows in the dark of night

 

Falstone Show 18th August 2012

Okay! I accept I'm just a wee bit behind the times - 3 weeks to be exact (blimey! is that all? seems more like 3 months!) Anyhow, Falstone came and went and a good day was had by all.

The day dawned wet it has to be said, but then why ought it to have been any different to any other day? fortunately it soon passed (the wet stuff, not the day) with the result we were basking in sunshine outside the beer tent in the late afternoon.

 

Sheep penned, rain drops hanging on the pen rails and hoods up, but not for too long.

 

The north country cheviots soon mashed the 'show ring' up

 

with the result that the swaledale cross sheep were judged out of the 'show ring' and shown between the pens, unfortunately the pen they had been standing in was a glaar (muddy mess) which shows by the clart on their fleeces

 

The judging of the Hexham type blackface champion took place in a cleaner 'show ring', courtesy of the scotch blackies who hadn't messed it up too much, or mebbes it was just drier ground.

 

The mule ewe lamb competitors weren't quite so lucky

 

Those hardy souls who turned out without their wellies were in a fine mess!

 

The sheep judging got through, Champion North Country Cheviot seen here with John Dixon of Chirdon.

 

North of England Blackface champion went to Selby Robson of Yatesfield.

 

Swaledale Cross Champion was this tup lamb from Mark Anderson of the Riding

 

John Dixon again with the mule ewe lamb champion. The only photo missing is of Dave Baxter and the Scotch type blackfaced champion, unfortunately camera shake took over and the resulting fuzz is barely recognizable!

 

Dog classes followed on from the sheep, collies, terriers, childrens pets and here one of the hound classes.

 

The industrial tent was stuffed full of 'yummies' - yup! we all know shep likes chocolate and it has to be said I did think this cold sweet looked rather inviting.

 

Tea cosies looking like sheep - what ever next?

 

The poor summer conditions saw the vegetable entries being down in numbers but there were still some outstanding entries

 

even the flowers had managed to hold their heads up high despite the poor weather conditions which they had battled through.

A summary? A cracking good day once again - well done to the committee and supporters for ensuring all went well. Further info will be available at www.falstoneshow.com

Premature celebrations

Thursday 16th August was the day, one Shep had been looking forward to for quite some while- the last days clipping! Outdoor clipping no less, the night previous had been a wet one, now there's a surprise! but the morning blew out and by 11a.m sheep were dry and clipping commenced. There was a canny air (wind) and sunshine, all seemed well on the home front, we even stopped for lunch, opening our bait (sandwich) boxes to see what goodies were hiding there, quite a relaxed last days clipping it seemed.

Then it rained.

Now Shep ain't gonna give in that easily, although I did raise my head and noted that the skies were black and foreboding away across the valley, they were definitely having something of a downpour. Time to try and clip faster I thought as I felt spots of wet stuff landing om my back.

A few more woolly bodies were clipped, the spots of rain continued to land cool and wet on my back but sheep weren't getting too wet. Once again I looked up and away across the valley to see the downpour was moving, it seemed to be travelling in an arc around us. I couldn't help but grin to myself - the last days clipping and the weather was still being it's usual un co-operative self, but not to worry, the numbers of sheep to clip were getting down and nothing was gonna stop Shep in her quest to hang up the machine for the year.

I did consider stopping and donning waterproofs as the spots started to land heavier upon my back, but then I would just end up hot and sweaty so really I would be no better off than being wet with rain, anyhow, it would also waste time and after all there weren't many left to clip now. Fortunately clipping off a battery machine rigged up to my car battery meant I wasn't going to fear being electrocuted so all was well really.

We were fortunate, the rain, which I believe was indeed heavy, did continue to arc around us, we were just getting the few stray drops on the outside edge, by the time the sheep were all bared off and clipped out the rain had ceased, sun had come out and you couldn't help wonder what all the hassle had been about. So bloody typical though of this years clipping season, but hey! it was over for another year - time to celebrate!

Courtesy of a local artist who had pitched up for the duration to do arty things farmer and myself found ourselves being invited for a quick pint down the pub. Now farmer was acting slightly more conscientious than I was as I was quick to take up the offer, however, it took little to encourage him to come and join us.

So, down the pub we went, mid afternoon on a Thursday we found ourselves sitting outside enjoying a pint and watching the world go by whilst soaking up the sunshine, a slight give away to the fact we weren't tourists would have been our dress code, smell and unkempt appearance as there had been no time to wash and change. My logic is there are plenty who go out for a drink after work donned in their suits, don't see why we should be any different covered in sheep shit.

Glasses were raised to the succesful conclusion of the shearing season and not before time. Fraught doesn't seem to have had a look in this year, it is fair to say it has been the most difficult season to organise in my living memory, but hey! we got through it, finished far later than ought to have done but finished was the important issue this day.

It was something of a bummer when I received a 'phone call the following day to see how things were going from a farmer I work for and who's son clips their sheep. Of course I couldn't help but relay the good news that at long last, after what could only be described as a marathon I had eventually got the clipping over for another year................

"That's good, we've still got 700 to do, could you give us a hand?" was the reply.

It is fair to say my heart sank, but always trying to be as accommodating as possible I agreed to head over once Falstone Show had been and gone. Thank the lord we have an excuse for an annual day off - Falstone Show was a life saver!

Wednesday is dawning, it is 22nd August, an early start to gather hill ewes and then commence clipping for another day. The farmers son and I have already had a day or two at the job, much gathering, shedding off lambs, housing sheep, clipping, neither of us seem to be in the right frame of mind for the job but we are getting through, later this morning we anticipate we will be gathering 3 - 400 sheep - the final gather, which will hopefully see us finished clipping by Friday at the latest if the weather will allow, after that should the 'phone ring the answer will be a definite NO. Spaening (weaning), dipping, gathering are all on the books, clipping will definitely be over for another year. Will I raise a glass again? Now that may just be tempting providence, maybe I'll just celebrate in a non committal fashion just to be on the safe side!

Where there's life there's death.

'Tis a fact y'know, 'tis indeed very true. Where there's life there's death. It's the only fact we are sure of from the moment we are born - someday we will die. None of us know when, or how, but it will indeed come upon us. All the more reason to live life to the full I would say, we just never know when that double decker bus might be bearing down on us, to squash us flat...........

The summer has been a difficult one for stock, I have heard of many farmers who believe their losses may have been greater than usual, some with a virulent form of mastitis amongst their sheep, others losing sheep cowped/kessing (lying on their backs)due to heavy fleeces and wet weather, then there are those unexplained deaths, "she was just lying their like she was asleep". It can be frustrating, exasperating, heart wrenching even and that is without consideration of the financial loss. But it is generally accepted, as already said "where there's live ones there'll be dead ones". Livestock and dead stock go hand in hand.

A morbid subject mebbes, those working with stock are probably more hardened to the fact than city dwellers may be, but no matter how hardened you are there are times when even the hardiest can shed a tear.

There may be some out there wondering why this blog has been drying up somewhat, unlike the weather which pours out generously on an almost daily basis Shep has found inspiration and words resistant to flow of late. There have been personal issues to deal with, none less than the present one of my Mother.

Shep is finally spaened (weaned), let loose into the big wild world so to speak. As this posting is published I will be at the same crematorium I was at less than three months ago, in pretty much the same company as well. Yes, there will be tears, there will also be much laughter, catching up with folks, reminiscing and rejoicing.

It has been a long fortnight. My mother, whom asked so little of life (and gave so much), got her main wish, a wish to leave this world with her independence and dignity in tact. I was often told to "unplug the machines" or "shoot me" should she find herself in a debilitating state. I had no worries on that front as she went to bed one night and didn't awaken the next morning. A lady who had ailed little in her lifetime (a chest condition in recent years being little short of a growing inconvenience to her), had fulfilled her last wish; to leave this world peacefully, with dignity and still totally independent. What more could any of us ask for? How selfish for those of us left behind to wish it could have been any different.

So there you have it, my Mam is dead - snuffed it, curled her toes up, put it how you wish. Often upon finding a sheep just lying dead for no reason the wry humour kicks in and cause of death is pronounced as "lack of breath"! Guess Mam ran out of breath an' all. The coroner came up with a fancy name (they always do, but then they have degrees and some of us don't!) to us commoners, a massive brain bleed/stroke was the cause of lack of breath and boy! how fortunate is that, I could follow it up with "typical, Mam never did do things in half measures"! It is fair to say that myself, my brother, sister in law and Mams two grandchildren and many, many others do wish she'd given us a little bit of a warning, but then she always knew we liked surprises!

There are many happy memories to look back on, some very recent which is a blessing. Shep was a Daddy's girl it has to be said, Mam and I were probably too closely matched, both sharing strong personalities which it is fair to say did indeed clash in my youth.

With age comes wisdom and understanding (or so I've been told!), I have been able to look back to my youth and understand my mothers motives, her aspirations for her youngest and appreciate the fact that she helped forge me into the person I am today. As age crept upon both of us it drew us closer, the last conversation I had with my mother I felt as though I had been talking with a good friend, a true confidant - there is much to be said for that.

She had her hands full it is fair to say, but handled with firmness and kindness she saw her kids blossom and her grandchildren too. We all know how proud she was of us, even though her daughter didn't follow the path that had been hoped of her it was accepted graciously, "so long as your happy, that's all that matters".

A lady who didn't suffer fools gladly, abhorred any form of dishonesty and spoke it as it was - never minced her words. Never one to be in the limelight, always beavering in the background, door open to anyone "so long as they take me as I am". A lady who gave much and asked little in return, a friend to many and more than a friend to many more will be sadly missed by all of us. We all gain strength from having known her and knowing that her final wish was fulfilled.

Or was it? She was pretty much convinced that my brother and I would make a mess of her funeral arrangements (we were sternly told we couldn't organise her 80th last year "I know what you two are like" she said, as we stood before her with a wicked glint in our eyes), so much so she thought she ought to write down her wishes - well! Wishes have yet to be found............ Did she really get her final wish? Lets hope so, following the tearful bit at the crematorium with our family there is to be a memorial service to celebrate her life at her local chapel for all to enjoy, much jolly singing is the order of the day, gifts of wild daffodil bulbs for anyone who might attend ("flowers are for the living, they're no good to the dead"), hopefully we've done her proud, no doubt she'll somehow let us know if we haven't!

As the saying goes "To have loved and lost is better than not to have loved at all"

"Thank you for having been my Mam".

read into it as you like!

 

This sign has often had me in stitches, a relic from the days when a road was un fenced and sheep roamed freely upon the highway but also a reminder to us all........!